The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Center Joel Embiid’s Playoff Seed Taking Root

Bret Stuter|
Feb 8, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

With the Philadelphia 76ers scratching for any win, rookie center Joel Embiid mentioned the team had playoff potential. Now that perspective is taking root throughout the entire organization

Blame it upon rookie center Joel Embiid. When the chips were down and the Philadelphia 76ers had earned just 10 wins to their 25 losses, Joel Embiid claimed the Philadelphia 76ers could make the playoffs.  The national media guffawed.  Some analysts calculated that the claim was mathematically possible.  But for all intents and purposes, Joel Embiid did not make the claim for the fans, nor for the NBA at large.

He made the claim to his teammates.  And they heard him.  In fact, the Philadelphia 76ers were a different team after that bold statement. Before the claim, the team was 9-25.  After the claim, the team was 19-29.   Statistically, the improvement was not very dramatic.  But this was a team that lost Joel Embiid, Robert Covington, Jahlil Okafor, Jerryd Bayless, Ben Simmons, some games from Gerald Henderson, Sergio Rodriguez, and Tiago Splitter.

A Seed Is Planted

It was a statement.  But it was a seed. A seed of confidence that had been planted into the scorched earth of not just the front office, but of virtually everyone associated with the NBA. In three years, nobody dared claim these Philadelphia 76ers could win.  In the 2016-2017 season, the injuries remained at a high level.

Now that the word is out, the concept of the Philadelphia 76ers hitting the playoffs next season is being vetted, and passing the test. The Philadelphia 76ers were in a better position than the Miami Heat at mid-season. If the 76ers had managed to keep Joel Embiid upright all season, and also had managed to get Ben Simmons onto the roster, there is plenty of justification to claim the playoffs this year.

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And so, T.J. McConnell‘s claim is right in line.

Fruits Will Come

There is another offseason in the making. And in keeping with the annual tradition, the view of the Philadelphia 76ers fans automatically turn to the 2017 NBA Draft. But there is reason to believe that the free agency season will offer some excitement as well this year.

NBA players want to win.  Right now, the perception in the league about the Philadelphia 76ers is a hard competing team in need of time and perhaps one more key piece.  In the course of NBA careers, rolling the dice on the Philadelphia 76ers is no longer a long shot.  The odds of playoffs has improved greatly.

And so, free agents will return the calls of the Philadelphia 76ers.  Players will see this team as more than leverage to improve the deals from other teams. Look for a surprise signing in the 2017 free agent market by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Next: The Sixers Wild, Entertaining, and Concerning 2016-17 Season

It was a simple comment made at a time that nobody really took him seriously. But Joel Embiid planted the seed.  And now, everyone is taking him seriously.